The Portland daily press., 1887-01-25
Portland People Appear in Behalf OF
the Eye and Ear lnfirmary,
And Also in Favor of a Woman's Re-
formatory.
An Act for Supplying Light, Heat ane
Power for Towns.
Other Matters of Interest to Maine
People.
Especial to the Press

ihio evening mas Deen devoted TO TWO I'M
portant hearings, in which many prominent
people from Portland and other parts of the
State figured. The finance committee, of
which Senator Libbey of Penobscot is chair
man, assembled in the Senate chamber at 7
o'clock, to hear the crowd of Portland men
who had come up to say good words in be-
half OF the Maine Eye and Ear Infrmary.
DR.. Holt was there, and after Hon. c. #.
Libby had explained the work of the Infirm-
ary and shown why it itneeded the $4,000 asked
of the Legislature, he read to the committee
a paper on the misfortunes of those afflicted
with eye and ear troubles emphasizing the
need of public relief. In answer to ques-
tions, DR.. Holt described the Infirmary at
Portland, and told them what it was doing.
President Arthur Sewall and General Man
ager Payson Tucker of the Maine Central
railroad, DR.. S. G. Gordon, A. Little, Esq,
and M. L. Frank, Esq, followed with short
speeches in favor of the institution. A let
ter from DR.. Weeks was read, favoring the
appropriation and explaining that the In
fimaly did not interfere in the least with the
Maine General Hospital. Besides the gem
tlemen who spoke there were present II, j.
Libby, Esq, of Portland, the venerable DR..
Hill of Augusta, and DIR. Frederick c.
Thayer of Waterville.
The committee were persuaded of the use
fulIness of the institution, and voted to re-
port favorably the bill giving the $5OOO
After the hearing for the Infirmary had
ended the finance committee took up the bill
for establishing a Woman's Reformatory,
which came over from the last Legislature.
Mrs l.. M. N. Stevens, Mrs. G. S. Hunt and
Judge Knight were on hand to urge the ne
cessity of such an institution. Hon. C. f.
Libby also spoke in favor of the plan, and
Col. H. S. Osgood presented some statistice
relative to the criminal class of women in
Maine, which were taken from the annual
State Prison report. The object Of the pro-
posed reformatory is to take the women who
are now sent to the jails for punishment, and
place them in an institution where they will
learn useful trades and become reformed and
fitted for honest lives. Mrs. Stevens and
Mrs. Hunt made earnest pleas, and Judge
Knight spoke at length. They thought $685.
600 ought to be appropriated. The commit
tee have appointed Messrs. Wescott and
Glover subcommittee to talk the matter
over with the Governor and Council A
week from tomorrow the committee meet the
promoters of the plan again. The majority
of the committe feel favorable to some plan
for reforming women convicted of crime; /;
but are not yet agreed as to what sort of an
institution should be established
one week from tomorrow the committee
on finance will hold hearing ON the bill to
levy State tax on water companies.
m fEA Dl ~
Temporary Home and st. Elizabeth Catholic
orphan Asylum were discussed and sub
committees were appointed to examine into
the request.
Light, Heat and Power for Suburban
Places.
In the Senate to-day an act was presented
by Mr.. Goodenow, providing that j. S. Rick
er, Nathan Cleaves, f. r. Barrett, G. E. b.
jackson, their associa tes and assigns be in
corporated as company for the purpose of
supplying light, heat and power by the man
ufacture and distribution of gas and cleo
tricity in the towns of Westbrook, Deering
and Cape Elizabeth, or either of these towns.
The capital stock of the company is to be
not less than $25, 900 which may be increased
to not more than $500,0O0. The provisions of
the bill authorize the company to purchase
the. property, rights, franchises, privileges
and lmmunities of any gas or electric light
company now or hereafter existing in any
town or city in Cumberland County.
Fish and Game.
The petition for a close time in eels in
Presumpscot river was reported to the
House today from the fish and game COM
mittee, with the recommendation that legis-
lation is inexpedient.
Mr.. Lyons of Vinalhaven introduced to-
day bill to prohibit fishing with weirs,
nets, seines or traps in any of the waters of
the Northern Harbor of Northern Fox
Island Fishing is also prohibited by the
bill in Fresh Pond.
People Of fremont demonstrate against
changing the present lobster law, ON the
ground that it has been followed by good
effects in the limited time of its operation
and should be tried longer.
One petition came in today asking that
the Revised Statutes be amended to allow
the hunting of deer with dogs.
Still Another Ten-Hour Bill.
A new ten-hour bill appeared in the Sen
ate today. Senator Heath of Kennebec is its
sponsor In its main provisions this bill is
much like the one introduced by Senator
Weymouth last week. Like the Weymouth
bill it includes men as well as women in
the enumeration of those who should not
be employed more than ten hours a
day in manufacturing or mechani-
cal establishments 1t also provides for the
election of commissioner of labor who
would have salary of $1,000 year. But
while the Weymouth bill would have spec
lal election ordered for the choice of the off
Ger at once, Mr.. Heath would have the Gov
ernor appoint commissioner to serve until
1888 when the election will take place at the
regular State election. The Weymouth bill
provides for no deputy commissioners; the
Looney bill makes each deputy commissioner,
of the Governor; Mr.. Heath's bill provides
Tor the election of a deputy commissioner
by the people of any town or city whenever
any seven people shall petition for such cleo
tl0n. Mr.. Heath's bill goes into the details
OF the enforcement of the law, prescribing
fines, penalties and methods of procedure
with greater precision than the Weymouth
bill.
County Salaries.
There is petition from Belfast lawyers
that the salaries of the judge and register of
probate for Waldo county be raised to the
figures that prevailed prior to the cutting
down of 1879. Then the Judge got $500 year
ly and the register $780, now the judge gets
$500 and the register $500.
Notes.
Captain III. II. Shaw, introduced from the
committee on military affairs, today, bill
empowering towns or cities to appropriate
money for Memorial day exercises.
bill introduced by Mr.. Glover of Rock
land, today, relates to the rights of eminent
domain which the State may grant to cor
poration; and specifies sexact mode of pro-
cedure by which these corporations may en-
ter into the possession of their privileges.
At present the modes Of procedure are not
accurately specified.
Members of Penobscot fBar petition that
the salary of the Clerk of Courts for that
county be restored Ito the amount provided
by the public laws of 1878. Judge Peters
heads the petition with this endorsement:
Il consider it scandalous that the clerk of
the second county in the State should receive
so small salary as the present $1200."
A bill came in to-day to make certain the
plans of those who wish to extend the Ban
gor and Katahdin Iron Works railroad from
Milo, down through Corinth, Charleston,
ETC., to the Kenduskeag valley and into Ban
gOr. This would give line from the Me-
gantic road to Bangor, Independent of the
Bangor and Piscataquis.
Mr.. Manley of Augusta, presented a bill